Politics
BREAKING: Tucker Carlson Accuses Fox News Of Breach Of Contract In Brand New Letter
Tucker Carlson is accusing Fox News of fraud and breaching his contract nearly two weeks after he was let go by the network, Axios reported. Attorneys for Carlson have indicated that they are prepared to take legal action against the company if he is not allowed to start a new business venture, arguing that his contract was already voided due to violations on the part of Fox.
Lawyers for Carlson sent a letter to Fox officials Viet Dinh and Irena Briganti that accused Fox employees, including “Rupert Murdoch himself,” of breaking promises to Carlson “intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth,” Axios reported.
The report comes just hours after the former Fox News host announced that he plans to re-launch Tucker Carlson Tonight with Twitter, which he argued is now the country’s most trusted source for news. “Starting soon we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” Carlson said. “We bring some other things too, which we’ll tell you about. But for now we’re just grateful to be here. Free speech is the main right that you have. Without it, you have no others.”
The Twitter deal would appear to violate his contract with Fox, though the letter sent by his lawyers contends that the network breached the contract first. Carlson’s contract runs through 2025, which would prevent him from starting a new show with a rival news network.
The letter accuses Fox of making “material representations” to Carlson that were intentionally broken, constituting fraud, Axios reported. Notably, the letter accuses Fox of breaking an agreement not to leak Carlson’s private communications to the media or private messages “to take any adverse employment action against him.”
Carlson’s attorneys also allege that the news giant broke promises not to settle the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit” in a way which would indicate wrongdoing” on the part of Carlson, or take any actions on a settlement that would harm his reputation. The formerly top-rated cable news host was reportedly told by a member of the Fox board that he was being terminated as a result of the Dominion settlement, Axios reported.
“These actions not only breached the covenant of good faith and fair dealing in the Agreement, but give rise to claims for breach of contract, and intentional and negligent misrepresentation,” the letter says.
Carlson is also accusing Irena Briganti, Fox’s longtime communications and PR chief, of attempting to “undermine, embarrass, and interfere” with Carlson’s future business endeavors. This would amount to a breach of Carlson’s contract, his lawyers argue.
“Make no mistake, we intend to subpoena Ms. Briganti’s cell phone records and related documents, which evidence communications with her and all media, including, but not limited to The New York Times,” the letter said.
Carlson’s lawyers also demanded that Fox News immediately take all necessary steps to “to preserve all existing documents and data” relating to the network’s relationship with Carlson.
A Fox News spokesperson denied Carlson’s claims, saying it is “categorically false” that his termination was related to the recent $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.